


My Tuxedo, Your Bowtie

by BelleRaev



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Community: theoldguardkinkmeme, Everyone is together and nothing hurts, Friendship, Gen, Joe and Nile are best buddies forever, ambiguous timeline, but recent, hand holding, i don’t make the rules, team shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29373063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelleRaev/pseuds/BelleRaev
Summary: She couldn’t remember the last person she held hands with and actually liked it. It makes her feel longing for something that she couldn’t quite place.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	My Tuxedo, Your Bowtie

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: https://theoldguardkinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/5552.html?thread=1807792#cmt1807792

The first time it happened Nile doesn’t actually pay attention to it.

They’re at the market when the team split into some unconventional couples. 

Booker and Quynh made their way to a table selling ‘retro’ technology - cassette tapes, CD players, floppy disks, cellphones the size of her head – because Quynh was absolutely fascinated by technological advancement and Booker took the mantle of teacher.

Nicky and Andy went in search of ingredients that would mystify the eldest immortal’s palate - a challenge that Nicky proposed and Andy ensured him that he would lose,

And her and Joe casually wandered to the artist section to peruse the paintings, drawings, clothing and jewelry.

She was looking through a table filled with feminine theme wooden sculptures when a warm hand suddenly gripped hers. Nile turned to the source and was met with a beaming Joe grin, 

“Look at this one” he’s saying and tugging her along besides him. 

They stop at a booth filled with frames that were embossed with famous paintings and Nile knows why he brought her over as soon as she sees it. 

A few weeks ago, they got into a very random discussion of Salvador Dali where Nile argued that his fascination with the African plains and insistence that he had Arab ancestors were more akin to narcissism and fetishism than genuine interest in his ancestry and Joe had argued that he’s met Dali personally and the guy was just eccentric and meant no harm.

Nile refused to believe that he met Dali or believe anything else Joe said that night about how he gave him many inspirations. She honestly couldn’t tell if he was lying or not but she has chosen to not believe him. 

Since than, Joe went out of his way to point out all the Dali art he found and tell her it was his idea. 

“We’re not doing this today” Nile says already feeling the tugging of her lips into a smile. 

“This color of orange was one I blended for him as a gift” Joe spoke undeterred and pointed to the embossed frame of ‘Impressions of Africa’.

“This is one of his most famous works Joe.” Nile has to remind him because he is absolutely ridiculous.

“Yes. He was very grateful. If you look there, in the distance, there’s me” He points to a shadow in the background that might be a figure or might be a rock and Nile can’t help laughing. 

“It’s the truth Nile” Joe is saying with his warm crinkled eye smile and Nile is giggling uncontrollably and only notices that their hands are still intertwined when she turns to walk away and he pulls behind her. 

She’s too distracted in her amusement to think much of it and so they continue walking hand in hand until they run into Andy who looks absolutely delighted and Nicky who undoubtedly lost his challenge. 

“What’s so funny?” Andy asks raising an eyebrow when Joe releases her hand to comfort his husband in his impossible pursuit. 

“Joe just tried to tell me that Salvador Dali painted him as a boulder in impressions of Africa” Nile answers barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes. 

“He didn’t want to take away from the other figures” Came the casual reply from Nicky and Nile gives a full snort as she walks away resuming her giggling. 

Sometimes she’s completely awed and humbled by the things they’ve done and seen and other times she couldn’t believe she was stuck with five immortal trolls. 

It isn’t until she’s pressing the thumb of one hand into the palm of the other that she realizes she misses Joe’s solid warmth. 

*

The next time it happens, Nile initiates it without thinking.

They’ve ended up in London to the great horror of all the immortals except for her. 

Their last London trip left a lot to be desired and Nile didn’t get a chance to explore and might have mentioned it to Copley who actually got them a nice hotel instead of the random cluttered holes that Andy prefers.

The assignment was over – it was small time but meaningful: crippling a drug smuggling empire, rescuing a couple of souls trapped by circumstance, exposing the corporation responsible, etc – and Nile had decided now was the time to do tourist type things. 

Like going to see the Crown Jewels and nothing was going to stop her. 

“I’m still going. I can be sad about it when I get there.” Nile had declared among many voices arguing to abolish the monarchy and not supporting colonialism and that the English were the worst™.

“Wouldn’t you rather steal them? We can get you in. No problem at all.” Quynh had offered and it was briefly considered but she ultimately decided against it. 

“No. I just want to do something touristy and pretend to be normal and not get shot at for a few hours” Nile argued and looked to Nicky as the voice of reason.

Usually the voice of reason. 

“If we wait until nightfall, it will be less chaotic and you won’t get shot” Nicky answered, apparently misunderstanding her significant ‘look’ and Nile takes a deep breath and turns to Joe instead. 

“Joe?” She says and reaches out her open hand in a gesture that couldn’t be misinterpreted. He’d become somewhat of her partner in crime in terrible impulsive ideas and she hoped that she could count on him for this one as well. 

He looked at her palm long enough that Nile began to doubt herself whether the argument that ‘she just wanted to do something without collapsing under the weight of the world on her shoulders’ was a bad one. She started to pull back - feeling a little hurt and ashamed, when he reached forward and grabbed her hand to rise from the couch. 

Her lungs gave a full exhale that she hadn’t realize she was holding when his fingers intertwined with hers and gave a reassuring squeeze. 

Nile grinned beatific and squeezed back. This was a win and she was taking it. “Thank you Joe, you are my only friend” Nile said loudly and with intent to see the pleased lines at his eyes when he smiles and the chorus of uproar from the other immortals. 

“We’ll go too. We will all go” cried an offended Quynh and Nile shakes her head.

“Nope. You’re not invited. It’s just me and my one friend. Come on Joe” Nile finishes with a very dramatic flurry of turning her attention from the team and pulling Joe behind her. 

She doesn’t stop until they’ve exited the suite and are standing in the hallway in front of the closed door. 

“Thank you” Nile says immediately once they’re alone and it’s weighted with all the gratefulness that his accompaniment makes her feel. Ultimately she would’ve gone alone if she had to but it probably would’ve been a miserable guilt filled time. 

“Anytime” Joe answered and his smile is full of comfort that reaches his very emotive eyes. 

A sense of calm settles over her that she attributes to Joe’s general warmth as they stand facing each other then she notices that their hands are still laced together. 

Her eyes linger on how her palm fits nicely with his without being overbearing and how his hand is surprisingly soft and not at all surprisingly gentle and her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. 

She couldn’t remember the last person she held hands with and actually liked it. It makes her feel longing for something that she couldn’t quite place. Obviously it didn’t mean anything and she was thinking of it too hard but it couldn’t be helped. 

“Sorry” Nile says releasing her grip on his and clasping her hands together. Joe gives her a look of mild confusion but she interrupts before he could question her, “let’s take a tour bus for the full experience” She smiles and lets the giddiness of doing something just for the sake of it take over her.

“You want to sit on the top level?” Joe guessed accurately and Nile nods without shame. “Obviously we’re sitting on the top level” she answers and they start down the hallway for the elevator. “We also need a map so we can get lost like proper tourists” Nile continues and he laughs. 

She kept her hands together, massaging them occasionally but the weight never quite felt the same.

**Author's Note:**

> Got home and was in a mood so I started working on the next part of this then lost it halfway through and now it’s time for bed so... posting this bit till I find the rest.


End file.
